


Mass Effect 2 Retold: We're At War

by MagicMissile27



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/M, Mass Effect 2, Military Science Fiction, Paragon Shepard (Mass Effect), Science Fiction, Spacer (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24081151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicMissile27/pseuds/MagicMissile27
Summary: On a space station in a classified location, a new story is about to begin after two years of silence. Commander James Shepard and Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams were lost and presumed dead after the destruction of the Normandy SR-1, but all that is about to change. Shepard and Ash will need all their skills if they are figure out what the Illusive Man is planning and recruit a team to stop the Collectors.This story imagines the second installment in a Mass Effect timeline slightly different from the one shown in the games. What if it wasn't Shepard who had the vision of the Protheans on Eden Prime, but Ashley instead? The basic events of Mass Effect 1 still happen, but Ashley is more central to the plot, fighting by Shepard's side in all the major battles (see notes for the details).
Relationships: Male Shepard/Ashley Williams
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. Reveille

**Author's Note:**

> This story assumes that the following events took place in the 1st game:  
> -Commander James Shepard is a male Soldier with the military family (Spacer) background and the War Hero character history.  
> -Ashley is the one who had the vision on Eden Prime, not Shepard, as he didn't pull her aside in time.  
> -The Normandy crew has only passing knowledge of Cerberus.  
> -Wrex survived Virmire  
> -The Rachni queen is alive.

1

**_Reveille_ **

_“I sing of warfare and a man at war, who of old came from the shores of Troy, an exile by fate…”_ Drifting out of a sea of blankness, the words of Vergil’s _Aeneid_ came unbidden across her mind as she awoke. She opened her eyes and saw a grey ceiling and bright lights, the room around her all greyish-white and slightly blurry. She blinked a few times and moved her head, and her vision cleared. Apparently she was lying on a bed of some kind, she realized, looking down at her body, which was clothed in some unfamiliar black and white casual jumpsuit bearing a hexagonal orange and grey logo. _That logo seems familiar_ , she thought, her mind still feeling fuzzy. Slowly she slid up to a sitting position, examining the rest of the room. _A lab of some sort,_ she thought, seeing computer screens, a desk, and a locker, as well as various unfamiliar implements and tools. With a _click_ , the door across from her bed slid open and another woman walked in. Her hair was dark and fell loose around her shoulders, framing her pale white skin, and she was dressed in a tight-fitting black and white uniform bearing the same strange logo. She held her head high, walking with an almost imperious grace as she came into the room. Stopping and looking over to the bed, she smiled, showing perfect white teeth, then said in a crisp accented voice: “Good morning, Chief Williams. I see you’re awake at last.”

Ashley blinked a few more times. _Who was this woman?_ “Where am I?” asked Ashley, rubbing her eyes and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “You are on the Lazarus Project facility,” replied the woman, tapping at a few keys on the computer and taking a datapad from the desk. “Lazarus,” Ashley said cautiously, memories from an old church service coming back to her mind. _Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha…_ “As in the man who was raised from the dead in the Bible?” The mysterious woman raised her eyebrows, looking pleased. “Indeed, the very same. Fortunately for you – and us – you weren’t fully dead like he supposedly was, though you certainly cut it close as you drifted out there.” _Out there. Drifting._ The memories came crashing back into her mind like a waterfall, and it started to click.

_The Normandy was on its way to investigate yet another Geth hotspot of activity. She had been in the armory checking through the squad’s weapons loadout, when she heard Joker’s voice over the intercom: “Brace for evasive action! Everyone hold on!”. The ship had suddenly been thrown into a tight turn, then it felt like the deck had been yanked out from beneath her feet. She found herself on the floor a moment later, alarms blaring and sparks flying around her. With reflexes born from years of training, she grabbed her helmet and ran to the crew deck, dodging gouts of flame that burst out of the walls and crewmembers stumbling or running back and forth to their stations. She reached the elevator and saw Shepard coming out of his cabin at a sprint, his helmet already sealed. “Joker’s already sent out a distress call,” Shepard said, his voice filtered and calm. “Will the Alliance get here in time?” asked Ashley, sealing her helmet. “No idea, but I’m not leaving if I can help it,” replied Shepard. “Get the crew to the escape pods. I’m going to go get Joker.” Ashley looked him square in the eyes as he turned to leave, saying: “I’m not leaving either, Skipper. See you in a minute.”_

_She rushed into the crew quarters as Shepard headed up the steps, pulling injured crew off the floor and helping them to the escape pod hatches. The pods were all but full in a few minutes. As each one filled up she gave the go-ahead, slapping the release switch and watching them disengage from the burning hull. Finally, there were only a few pods left on the level. “Hurry! Launch as soon as everyone’s in,” she said, seeing Garrus and Tali pass by with a burned-looking crewman in tow. She bit her lip in a moment of indecision. Wait by the pods, or go make sure Shepard and Joker were safe?_ I’m not sitting around here while the Normandy burns, _she thought angrily, and ran up the steps to CIC. The door opened slowly, and her blood ran cold at what she saw. CIC was blasted open to space, its roof gone and the nondescript greyish white planet they were orbiting visible overhead. Her boots magnetically locked to the deck to keep her from drifting away as she jogged toward the cockpit. It looked like Shepard had just gotten there and was helping Joker out of his seat. “Skipper!” she called out, her suit transmitting the message to him. Shepard looked up as Joker threw an arm around his shoulders. “Ashley! Get out of here!” “Not without you, Shepard!” she replied, running to the nearest escape pod hatch and opening it. “Let’s go!” Joker didn’t need any encouragement from her – as soon as Shepard had him clear of the cockpit he hobbled his way to the pod and grabbed a seat. Just then, a blast of yellow-white light momentarily blinded her as whatever this – thing – was that was chasing the Normandy opened fire again, setting the corridor on fire and blasting her and Shepard back, away from Joker. “Shepard!” yelled Joker, held back by his automatic restraints in the pod. “GO!” Shepard yelled back, slamming the release button as he staggered back away from the pod. Joker’s pod blasted off away from the Normandy as the alien ship’s beam weapon started another attack. “There’s one more pod, back by the comms room,” Ashley said, regaining her footing and looking to Shepard. “Lead the way,” he said, and they ran. They didn’t make it. Halfway to the comms room, the Normandy bucked and twisted in the middle, broken by the last attack, then the drive core blew. Ashley lost sight of Shepard as a wave of heat washed over her, and she felt herself spinning away. The last thing she remembered was the terrible_ hiss _of escaping air from a breach in her suit_. _Then darkness._

Forcing the memories back, Ashley started asking questions. “What’s going on now? Where’s Shepard?” she asked the woman. “All in good time,” replied the woman, picking up a scanner from the desk. “Commander Shepard is safe,” she continued, “and the Illusive Man will want to speak with you as soon as we’ve completed a few physical and medical tests. I’m Miranda Lawson, by the way – I direct the Lazarus Project.” _Thank God,_ Ashley thought. _So we both survived, somehow._ She sat on the edge of the bed as Miranda scanned her, then tapped the results into the computer. “How do you feel?” Miranda asked, motioning for Ashley to stand up. “Not too bad, given that I apparently almost died recently,” Ashley said wryly, stretching and standing up. She felt a brief wave of dizziness, but it dissipated quickly. Miranda handed her a mirror, and she took a look. Her tan-skinned, dark-haired face looked back at her, just as she remembered except for a crisscrossing spiderweb of faintly glowing scars down her right cheekbone to her jaw. “The scars should heal themselves in a few weeks at the most,” Miranda said, seeing her touch the scars gingerly. “Other than that, you’re all put back together. Let’s go see if you remember your skills.”

Ashley followed Miranda out of the room and down a hallway, lit with the same bright lights. They turned a corner, went through another sliding door, and came to a large space that Ashley instantly recognized as a pistol target range. “I thought this was a medical facility,” she said in surprise as Miranda turned on the lights and opened a locker on the far side of the room. “Our organization is a lot of things,” Miranda replied with a hint of a smile, handing Ashley a familiar-looking sidearm from the locker. “More on that later. Now, I assume you recall how to use one of these?” Taking a cursory look at the pistol, it seemed to be similar to her old Alliance standard-issue sidearm, but was an unfamiliar newer model that held some sort of clip in the handle. She pointed it downrange at one of the targets and took a few shots, quickly figuring out the sights and adjusting accordingly.

After a dozen shots, the clip ejected and the heat rapidly dissipated. “Nicely done,” said Miranda, sounding impressed. “I see time hasn’t made an impact on your accuracy skills.” _Time?_ “Wait a second. You said ‘time hasn’t made an impact on my skills. How long was I asleep on that bed?” asked Ashley warily. Miranda suddenly looked uncomfortable, tightening her jaw and saying: “I think that’s a question you’d better ask the Illusive Man-“ Ashley cut her off, taking a step closer. “Miranda. How long was I asleep? Tell me the truth.” Miranda stepped back, hesitating, then answered. “Fine. The destruction of the SSV Normandy was almost two years ago. One year, nine months, and about 25 days to be exact.” “Two years?” said Ashley in disbelief. “That’s impossible – how did we –“ She trailed off, looking again at the pistol. _A familiar design, but with new and unfamiliar features_. _Could it really have been two whole years? It felt like five minutes ago_. Her head still spinning with the prospect of having been asleep for two years, she followed Miranda to an office across the hallway. “I have a lot of questions,” said Ashley, taking a deep breath. “I have some questions for you as well, then we can try and answer what’s going on,” said Miranda, turning on the computer in the office and scrolling through some files. “Okay,” said Ashley cautiously, sitting down across from the desk.

“Let’s start from before the conflict with Saren and the Geth,” said Miranda, looking over at Ashley. “Before you came aboard the Normandy, what infantry unit were you assigned to?” “The 212th,” replied Ashley immediately. Miranda nodded and moved on to the next question: “You were a part of Shepard’s team when he led the assault on Saren’s cloning facility on Virmire,” Miranda continued. “Do you remember what happened on that mission?” “Of course I do,” said Ashley, her face clouding over as she remembered the stormy skies and sandy beaches of Virmire. “I armed the improvised bomb while Lieutenant Alenko led the diversionary ground attack. Saren came and fought with Shepard. When the Normandy arrived, Shepard saved me…and the lieutenant was left behind.” She looked up and met Miranda’s eyes. “Why are you asking me this?” she said, still with a trace of sadness as she remembered the officer who had given his life to save her. “I know remembering that is difficult,” said Miranda consolingly. “But we have to make sure you’re still you after the better part of two years in a coma. Two more questions, then we’re done.” “Fine,” said Ashley, sitting back in the chair.

“Would you say that Commander Shepard and you were close? Closer perhaps than he was with the rest of the crew?” asked Miranda cautiously. “Maybe,” said Ashley, trying to sound non-committal. _Whoever these people are, they don’t need to know about what happened between us_. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business one way or the other,” she continued. Miranda raised her eyebrows, made a note, and continued. “Last question. At the Battle of the Citadel, the Citadel Council was killed by the Reaper known as Sovereign. Do you remember who Commander Shepard recommended as the first human representative to lead the new Council?” Ashley thought about it for a second, then recalled the conversation with Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson while the Citadel was being cleaned up. “Captain Anderson was to lead the Council,” she said, remembering Shepard’s words. “ _The Reapers are still out there. We need someone who can prepare us for the coming conflict – someone like Captain Anderson,” he had said. The look on Udina’s face when he realized he’d gotten ignored was priceless._ Miranda nodded, finished up her notes, and stood up. “Everything seems to be in order. Now, if you’ll follow me, we should be going.” “Going where, exactly?” “The Illusive Man wants to speak with you.”

“No. I need to talk to Commander Shepard first,” said Ashley, making up her mind. “Where is he?” “Let’s go talk to the Illusive Man and I think things will make a lot more sense,” Miranda replied, dodging the question. “You keep mentioning this ‘illusive man’. Who is he?” demanded Ashley, growing increasingly frustrated at Miranda. “My boss,” said Miranda shortly, shutting down the computer and gesturing for Ashley to follow. Ashley didn’t move. “Where’s Shepard?” she asked again, crossing her arms in defiance. “The Illusive Man will explain that. I’m really not the person you need to talk to right now,” said Miranda with forced calmness. “Mm-hmm,” said Ashley, not buying it. “Let me guess,” she continued. “Shepard’s here, but there’s some reason why you don’t want to let me see him. Or maybe he’s not here at all.” Miranda didn’t answer. “Okay, you’re definitely hiding something,” said Ashley decisively. “Who do you work for, anyway? This ‘Illusive Man’ doesn’t sound like any Alliance officer I’ve ever heard of. Are you part of the Council? Some sort of civilian agency or something?” “The Illusive Man runs our organization. We’re independent from the Alliance and the government,” said Miranda. “’Independent organization’ sounds like a euphemism for ‘vigilantes’ to me,” replied Ashley sarcastically. _But since when do vigilante groups have expensive medical equipment and military grade weapons?_ “In that case, maybe I should have a few words with this boss of yours,” she said slowly. _He might be a crime lord of some kind,_ she thought darkly. _And if that’s the case, then it’s going to be even more important to find Shepard and get the hell out of here._


	2. Many Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chapter in progress

2

**_Many Meetings_ **

Having agreed to meet with the Illusive Man immediately, Ashley was shown into a room with a circular pad and a console. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked Miranda, glancing back. “Stand on the pad and the call will start.” She did so, and watched as a glowing holographic field emerged from the pad and continued past her head, creating a cylinder. The field faded into an image – a large, open, dark room, with some sort of enormous background window showing a view of an unfamilar fiery giant star. In the center of the room, flanked by floating display panels, was a chair, and in the chair was a man.

His face was half lit by the light of the star, his clothing was plain but formal, and his eyes were strangely bright and somehow – off. A glowing cigarette was in his right hand, which rested on the arm of his chair with a casual ease. “Chief Williams,” he said, nodding. “You must be the Illusive Man,” said Ashley suspiciously. “I thought we’d be meeting in person.” “An unfortunate but necessary precaution,” said the Illusive Man. “Not unusual given the situation we find ourselves in.” “And what situation is that, exactly?” asked Ashley. “Humanity is up against the greatest threat we have faced in our brief existence.” “I’m guessing you mean the Reapers.”

“Indeed. We’re at war – nobody wants to admit it, but we are under attack. Colonies have been disappearing while you’ve been gone. Human colonies. We think that someone is helping the Reapers attack humanity like Saren and the Geth assisted Sovereign.”

“And who is this ‘we’ you keep talking about?” Ashley interjected, crossing her arms. “Those who stand for the advancement and preservation of humanity. Tell me, Chief Williams, what do you know about Cerberus?” _Cerberus?_ Then it hit her. _The logo, the secrecy, the military equipment, it all fits._ “You work for Cerberus? The human-centric extremist group?” “I don’t work for Cerberus, Chief Williams,” said the Illusive Man, taking a drag on his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. “I am Cerberus _._ Some have called us extremists, perhaps. But right now, if we wait for politics and the Alliance to act, there won’t be any colonies left to save. You grew up on a colony world, Williams. You know what it’s like out there.” She stood and thought about what he was saying for a moment.

“So there are colonies disappearing, that I understand. But why spend all this money bringing me and Shepard back from the grave? And speaking of which, where is Shepard and why won’t Miranda let me see him?”

“You and Commander Shepard are unique. Not just in your abilities, but in what you stand for. You fought side by side on behalf of humanity at a moment when the galaxy needed us the most. You’re not just soldiers – you’re symbols. If the Reapers can feel fear, and if there are any humans they fear, it is yourself and Commander Shepard. At this point, you should know that Commander Shepard was also recovered and is being reconstructed, though the process has taken time.” _More confirmation that he’s alive,_ she thought with relief. _Now what? It’s Shepard they need to stop the Reapers, so do I just sit and twiddle my thumbs until they finish reassembling him?_ “Let’s say I believe you,” she said cautiously. “Let’s just assume for a moment I’m willing to put aside Cerberus’ reputation as a terrorist organization. What are you trying to get from me? You could probably have built a fleet with the amount of money you spent on us.”

“Miranda warned me that you’d be stubborn. She’s not usually wrong, and this is no exception. There’s a shuttle waiting for you to take you to Freedom’s Progress, the latest colony to disappear. Miranda and Operative Jacob Taylor will give you the details.” The Illusive Man got up from his seat and paced around to face her again. “Find out anything you can. Where are the colonists going? Do their abductors have anything to do with the Reapers? I brought you back to life. Now it’s your turn to do the rest.”


End file.
